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It is only too often that businesses, big and small, are targeted by a cyberattack and face unpleasant consequences as a result - and these consequences often lead to them having to close their doors for good. In order to keep your own business afloat, it is not enough to know that there are threats out there. You need to know what these threats look like, what they do, and most crucially, how to stop them.

Below are some of today’s most common threats to your cybersecurity.

Viruses

Quite possibly the best known of any cyberthreat, “virus” is a term describing a malicious program designed to replicate itself by altering the code of existing programs or files and inserting itself into them. Not all viruses will have the same impact on a system. Some will actively attack your computer, deleting files, while others just eat up its memory and cause frequent crashes.

One of your best defenses against a virus is to faithfully maintain the antivirus software that should be installed on each device.

Ransomware

Essentially, once your computer has been infected with this malware variant, your entire system is encrypted. The ransomware then displays a note informing the victim of what happened and instructions on how to pay the ransom through cryptocurrency, often with a deadline to do so before their files are deleted.

While these attacks have gotten trickier over time, your best bet is to avoid clicking unexpected attachments in your emails, especially those from an source you’ve never had contact with previously, and to maintain a discrete backup of your system (just in case).

Spyware

Spyware is another malware variant that has caused no small amount of trouble to many businesses, primarily in terms of data theft. This threat effectively allows a cybercriminal to monitor a system remotely, tracking keystrokes and viewing screens, as well as just generally being a nuisance. If your settings start changing themselves or you start getting pop-ups on your desktop, your computer is most likely infected.

Exercising caution about the things you click online and keeping your system updated and patched will help to keep your system free of peeping eyes.

Phishing

Phishing is the cyberthreat equivalent of the “got something on your shirt” trick, just with much worse consequences. Cybercriminals will pose as someone else, often someone you trust, to see if you will share confidential information, like login credentials. Once someone “takes the bait,” the hacker has what they need. The infamous Nigerian Prince scam is a rudimentary version of this, but there are much more convincing examples out there as well.

A bit of critical thinking will help to keep your business safe from these efforts, along with confirming any messages received through an alternative form of communication before trying to open any attachments.

With these threats (and many, many more) just waiting for the chance to infiltrate your systems, you can’t afford to be lax in your security in planning or in its execution. However, it may be challenging to determine just what it is that your business needs. That’s why Machado Consulting is here.

How We Can Help

Not only can we review your current technology infrastructure to determine where its weak points and other vulnerabilities are, we can also supply you with the solutions to resolve them. We can also help train you and your staff on how you all can help prevent issues by recognizing their warning signs.

To learn more or to schedule a time for your consultation, reach out to us at (508) 453-4700.

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